Ignition timer



Patented Jan. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF'ICE IGNITION TIMER Orrin H. Thomas, Williamsport, Pa., assignor of one-half to Russell W. Fuller, Jersey Shore, Pa.

Application October 13, 1950, Serial No. 189,984

1 Claim.

This invention relates to ignition timers for internal combustion engines and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

The present day ignition timers consist of a trode housing. breaker point assembly wherein a contact Figure 3 is a side elevation of the electrode. mounted on a swinging arm engages a contact Figure 4 is a side elevation of a mounting means mounted on a stationary arm when its actuating for the electrode and illustrating the adjustabilcam is on its low side, and moves away from the ity thereof. stationary arm when the cam is on its high side. Figure 5 is a plan view of the rotary cam cm- This construction presents a source of motor ploy d i the device. inefiiciency which finally ends in motor failure. Figure 6 is a side elevation thereof. The main objection to the construction now in ure 7 is a ar fragmentary side use is that the tungsten carbide contacts do not vation of the rotor and timer assembly, partly provide sufiicient contact surface for the proper section. illustrating the relation of the parts current transmission during the closure time to With respect to the ro shaft of the timer, and adequately saturate the ignition coil. It is most Figure 8 s a s de eIeVatiOII Of a modified form difiicult, if not impossible, to align two fiat surof ct de. faces so that they are electrically tight. There- Attention is fi s invited to Figures 1 and 7 of fore, the current will only be transmitted by the the drawing. w e n a conventional distributor high spots or those places where the engagement housing It? is ShOWll, which includes a IOtOI shaft pressure i sumoient xamin ti of o t t ll driven in the usual manner. The shaft H has points taken from i niti n ystems i e, if for secured thereon an annular cam l2 and a rotor only a short time conclusively prove that only a 13 positioned 0v T rotor 13 is of fraction of th nt t area i transmitting t conventional construction and includes a blade current. The contacts are subject to pitting p e to engage ta s associa ed with causing a, 1ump formation to be deposited on the the cover Of the distributor (not shown), as is one contact, while the other contact will have a Well uhdelstoed y these sed in he art. deep recess burned in it. The contacts are ex- The Gem I2 is formed With a plurality of pposed to the nitric acid fumes which occur when ding ribs I5 up its pp face, the ribs sparks jump from the distributor rotor to the s equally Spaced and eXtending r y W h distributor posts causing an oxide of nitrogen to spect to the rotor shaft The s 5 pr rform which will combine with the moisture presably have inclined feces for ng a d ent in the air within the distributor and form disengaging an p i g arm as Will be described. nitric m In the present instance, eight ribs are shown, but

It is therefore the cardinal object of the inthe number will y in accordance W h the vention to provide an ignition system wherein number of cylinders of the engine q pp d With the conventional breaker point assembly is elimithe timernated and in its stead a reciprocating elec- AS Clearly shown in ures a bolt 16 is trode is employed operated by means of a cam threadedly engaged in a pp p g IT i t e associated with the shaft of the distributor, for base I8 of the distributor housinge pper end intermittently engaging a current conducting 0f the bolt is Provided With a ead l9 beneath substance. which there is an arm 20 apertured to receive the More specifically, it is an object of the invenbolt slidebly- A11 upwardly bowed leaf spring 2| tion to provide an ignition timer in the form is carried by the bolt interposed between the arm of a housing having a reciprocating electrode 20 and the head l9 of the bolt. The arm 20 is 01 adapted to contact a current conducting suba length so as to present an end 22 over the cam stance, such as mercury, the electrode being re- 2, the Spring 2| urgi g the arm into enga e t ciprocable in timed relation with the rotation of h t e Cam at all times. a rotor of the distributor, said electrode being The opposite end of the arm 20 is formed with adjustable with respect to the depth of the suba threaded aperture 23 for adjustable support of stance within the housing. an electrode as will be described,

Additional objects, advantages and features of An electrode housing 24 is employed the lower invention will be apparent from the following end 25 of which is closed and integrally formed description, considered in conjunction with the therewith and projecting therebelow is a thr d accompanying drawing, wherein,

stud 26 for engagement with a tapped opening 21 in the base of the distributor housing. The upper open end of the electrode housing 24 is closed by a cap formed from insulating material, said cap having an annular sleeve 28 adapted to firmly seat in the open end of the housing. The cap and sleeve are formed with an opening 29 aligned with the opening 23 of the arm 20.

An electrode 30 is employed, cylindrical in shape and of a length greater than the length of the electrode housing 24. The electrode 30 is threaded as at 3| for engagement in the threads of the aperture 23. The threads 3| also receive a nut 32 for locking the electrode in adjusted position with respect to a body of mercury 33 in the bottom of the housing 24. The depth of the mercury is such as to be normally below the end of the electrode when the arm 20 is in engagement with one of the ribs I of the cam.

The electrode 30 is a solid cylindrical body, but if desired, the electrode may be hollow as shown in Figure 3. Also as shown in Figure 8, the electrode may have a tapered formation.

It will be understood that the electrode 3!] is reciprocably mounted within the openings of the closure cap and sleeve so as to intermittently contact the body of mercury 33.

The operation of the timer is as follows, the distributor shaft I I being rotated as is customary, the cam I2 will be likewise rotated bringing a rib l5 into engagement with the end 22 of the arm 20. At this point the electrode 30 will be in the elevated position as shown in Figure 7, but as the cam continues to rotate, the arm 20 will slide smoothly off of the rib I 5 by reason of the inclined face [5 of the rib, thereby gently lowering the electrode into the mercury. The electrode 30 is reciprocated in timed relation with the rotor l3 and current will therefore be distributed through the blade l4 and the connection 34 to the battery (not shown).

While I have shown and described a preferred form of the device, this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as my own all such modifications in construction as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A make and break device for the electrical circuit of a distributor having a rotor shaft, a horizontally positioned cam fixed on said shaft for rotation therewith, said cam having a plurality of upwardly disposed, equally spaced ribs extended radial on the upper face of the cam, said ribs each having inclined faces, an upright support mounted within the housing of the distributor, an arm vertically movable of said support and having one end disposed over the face of the cam for successive engagement with the ribs under rotation of the cam member, spring means between the support and the arm urging the arm into engagement with the cam, a conductor housing mounted in the housing of the distributor and arranged parallel to the rotor shaft, a current conducting substance in said conductor housing, a top closure for the conductor housing and having an axial aperture, an electrode adjustably fixed to the other end of said arm and vertically slidable through the axial aperture of the top closure for intermittently engaging said current conducting substance.

ORRIN H. THOMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

